Murder for Main Street

from Lake Martin Living February 2023

Does indexing work? Active Versus Passive Asset Management

There’s been a murder at the Billionaires’ Club Annual Masquerade Ball, and it’s up to the dinner guests to solve the crime at this Main Street Alexander City inaugural event on Feb. 25. This unique fundraiser for the downtown merchants organization promises heavy hors d’oeuvres catered by The Wharf Casual Seafood, cocktails (one drink ticket and a cash bar), music and a fresh and fun entertainment theme by improv actors who will invite guests to take part.

Presented waterside at the Azalea Cove Clubhouse at Stonebridge, the setting will lend itself to the mysterious atmosphere of the event, said incoming Main Street Alexander City Executive Director Michelle West.

“Azalea Cove is off of state Route 63, in the Stonebridge development. It’s an isolated clubhouse for a unique event. The mysterious drive into it will set the tone. I haven’t heard of this kind of event in our area before,” West said.

Guests will dress in cocktail attire and throughout the evening will attempt to unmask the killer. It could be a party guest, a server or one of the Murder Mystery Company’s highly trained improv actors who will keep the action moving and the clues coming until the crime is solved.

Sponsors for the event include The Local at 41 Main, Waterside Azalea Cove, The Wharf Casual Seafood, Lake Martin Wedding & Event Rental, Oliver & Ross, and Murder Mystery Co. A limited number of tickets are available at $75 each for this glamorous evening, which will begin at 6 p.m. Purchase tickets online at bit. ly/3vVKbzV.

Midnight at the Masquerade is the first major event that West will oversee in her new position at Main Street Alexander City. The owner of Studio West said she tried to think of someone to fill outgoing director Stacey Jeffcoat’s shoes and realized that person could be her.

“I wanted to see somebody in a position that has a lot of energy and cares and likes to do events and wants to see revitalization continue in our area,” West said. “It turned out that I couldn’t think of anybody that cared about it as much as I do.”

West has been in the area for the past 15 years. Some of those years have been spent as a business owner, but also as an event coordinator at SpringHouse, working for United Way and, more recently, as a realtor at Love Lake Martin.

West said all these roles have played a part in preparing her. United Way gave her experience with working in the nonprofit sector and fundraising. SpringHouse gave her an event planning background, and being a realtor helped her develop an understanding of what prospective investors are looking for in the area.

“Then having my own business downtown, it really helps me stay in touch with what’s going on in the area and gives me a personal investment of wanting to see this area do well,” West said.

One of the major efforts West said she is focused on is getting more visitors and residents downtown. Funds raised through this event will help to draw residents and visitors to future downtown events.

Visit the Main Street Alexander City Facebook page for details on this and upcoming downtown events.

Friday, January 7, 2023